The Bible

 

1 Mose 13

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1 Also zog Abram herauf aus Ägypten mit seinem Weibe und mit allem, das er hatte, und Lot auch mit ihm, gegen den Mittag.

2 Abram aber war sehr reich von Vieh, Silber und Gold.

3 Und er zog immer fort von Mittag bis gen Bethel, an die Stätte da am ersten seine Hütte war, zwischen Bethel und Ai,

4 eben an den Ort, da er vorhin den Altar gemacht hatte. Und er predigte allda den Namen des HERRN.

5 Lot aber, der mit Abram zog, der hatte auch Schafe und Rinder und Hütten.

6 Und das Land mochte es nicht ertragen, daß sie beieinander wohneten; denn ihre Habe war groß, und konnten nicht beieinander wohnen.

7 Und war immer Zank zwischen den Hirten über Abrams Vieh und zwischen den Hirten über Lots Vieh. So wohneten auch zu der Zeit die Kanaaniter und Pheresiter im Lande.

8 Da sprach Abram zu Lot: Lieber, laß nicht Zank sein zwischen mir und dir und zwischen meinen und deinen Hirten; denn wir sind Gebrüder.

9 Stehet dir nicht alles Land offen? Lieber, scheide dich von mir! Willst du zur Linken, so will ich zur Rechten; oder willst du zur Rechten, so will ich zur Linken.

10 Da hub Lot seine Augen auf und besah die ganze Gegend am Jordan. Denn ehe der HERR Sodoma und Gomorrha verderbete, war sie wasserreich, bis man gen Zoar kommt, als ein Garten des HERRN, gleichwie Ägyptenland.

11 Da erwählete ihm Lot die ganze Gegend am Jordan und zog gegen Morgen. Also schied sich ein Bruder von dem andern,

12 daß Abram wohnete im Lande Kanaan und Lot in den Städten der selben Gegend; und setzte seine Hütten gen Sodom.

13 Aber die Leute zu Sodom waren böse und sündigten sehr wider den HERRN.

14 Da nun Lot sich von Abram geschieden hatte, sprach der HERR zu Abram: Hebe deine Augen auf und siehe von der Stätte an, da du wohnest, gegen Mitternacht, gegen den Mittag, gegen den Morgen und gegen den Abend.

15 Denn alle das Land, das du siehest, will ich dir geben und deinem Samen ewiglich.

16 Und will deinen Samen machen wie den Staub auf Erden. Kann ein Mensch den Staub auf Erden zählen, der wird auch deinen Samen zählen

17 Darum so mach dich auf und zeuch durch das Land in die Länge und Breite; denn dir will ich's geben.

18 Also erhub Abram seine Hütten, kam und wohnete im Hain Mamre; der zu Hebron ist, und bauete daselbst dem HERRN einen Altar.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1598

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1598. And pitched his tent as far as Sodom. That this signifies extension to cupidities, is evident from the signification of “Sodom” (explained above, at verse 10), as being cupidity. These things correspond to those in the preceding verse 10—that “the plain of Jordan was all well watered, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt in coming to Zoar;” where the external man when united to the internal was treated of; and by “the land of Egypt in coming to Zoar” was signified memory-knowledges from the affections of good. But here, that “Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent as far as Sodom,” signifies the external man when not united to the internal; and by these things is signified memory-knowledges from the affections of evil, or from cupidities. For there was described the beauty of the external man when united to the internal; but here, its deformity when not united; and still more is this deformity described in the verse that follows, where it is said, “and the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly.”

What the deformity of the external man is when separated from the internal, may be seen by everyone from what has been said concerning the love of self and its cupidities, which are what principally disunite. As great as is the beauty of the external man when united to the internal, so great is its deformity when disunited. For considered in itself the external man is as nothing else than a servant to the internal; it is a kind of instrumentality by means of which ends may become uses, and uses be presented in effect, so that there may thus be a perfection of all things. The contrary takes place when the external man separates itself from the internal, and desires to be of service to itself alone; and still more is this the case when it desires to rule over the internal man, which is principally the case from the love of self and its cupidities, as has been shown.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Genesis 14

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1 It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim,

2 that they made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar).

3 All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea).

4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.

5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, to Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

7 They returned, and came to En Mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that lived in Hazazon Tamar.

8 The king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim;

9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.

10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and those who remained fled to the hills.

11 They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way.

12 They took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13 One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. Now he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were allies of Abram.

14 When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.

15 He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 The king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.

19 He blessed him, and said, "blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram gave him a tenth of all.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, and take the goods to yourself."

22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

23 that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.'

24 I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion."